tldr; Toxic manager (LPN) using me (RN) for my license in LTC setting, threatens to report me to the board if I leave.
I've been working in the LTC setting for the past 9 months. This was anticipated to be a short term solution, as the last hospital I worked at closed unexpectedly. I'm also PRN at a hospital in my previous specialty, which I would want to work at full time if the position was available.
I'm the only RN at the small LTC facility, and the manager is a long time LPN. There were 2 other RNs at one point, but they quit. They've been looking for another RN for the past 5 months without any success. I used to really enjoy working there, but over the past few weeks, I've begun to see how toxic management is. The manager has always been very controlling, and has squashed any attempts I've made at independence, while also pressuring me to do everything independently. If I were to insist on doing something differently than how she'd do it, she'll say in a huff, "Oh, well, it's your license." Making me feel not only unsupported but incompetent, and also that she's using me and my RN license to implement changes that she wouldn't be able to do with only her LPN license.
I asked her what she would've done if I hadn't applied when I did, and she said that they had another applicant that was previously an LTC DON for over a decade, but she decided on me instead because I was, "more trainable." Which I now interpret as, "more easy to manipulate into doing what I want you to do."
She made the comment the other day about how herself and the assistant manager (non nurse) had to take on RN duties when they've been without an RN in the past. I asked how they were able to do this as it was obviously outside of their scope, and she replied that in our setting if no RN is available and a job opening is posted, that management can take on RN duties.
When digging further on why they were without an RN, apparently it was due to not only one, but several RNs quitting and leaving them without an RN over the years. The manager asked me if I knew what they did to the RNs that quit like that. "Reported them to the board?" I questioned, and she nodded, looking at me severely, making me feel that she intended to do the same to me if I were to quit.
The work they want me to do would involve 80+ hours per week to accomplish, and they have me capped at 50 hours. I'm told on a daily basis how I'm not meeting expectations. When I reply that no one could feasibly do the work expected in the hours allotted and say we need another nurse, all the manager says is, "Well, we're trying." She tells me of all the places the job opening is posted, and I've yet to see it anywhere (believe me, I've looked). They also want me to take on being on call 24/7 without adjusting my pay to reflect that increase in hours. I'm already on call 24/7, but the manager takes the initial calls and dispatches them to me if necessary. They want to salary me, but I know it's just an attempt at increasing my hours and responsibilities without having to pay me overtime for actual hours worked.
I honestly don't know what to do. It's gotten to the point that I actively dread going to work due to the anxiety being there causes. I've even thought about quitting and using COBRA to keep my health insurance and just pick up at my PRN job to supplement until there's a scheduled position available. I could get full time hours picking up at my PRN job, and if a position became available, I'd have seniority in applying for it.
Would the manager have grounds to report me to the board if I quit, since I'm the only RN? Would I have to stay on at least part time until another RN is hired?